BIG FISH COLUMN: Ward nets Thames beast

A big Thames carp dominated the local angling headlines last week and our main river steals the spotlight again this time around with news of the capture of one of the largest local Thames barbel for some considerable time.

Just as the full potential of the Thames as a carp fishery is still largely unexplored so it is with barbel and although there have been few fish to challenge the current river record of 18lb 2oz caught by Guy Robb back in 2005 there are undoubtedly some huge uncaught, or at least rarely caught, beasts swimming around.

One such beast was netted from the Thames at Cookham last week by 23 year-old Maidenhead angler Dan Ward.

Dan has been barbel fishing for the past two years and concentrating his efforts mostly on the Thames at either Cookham or close to his home at Boulters Lock and has some enviable barbel to his credit topped by double figure specimens of 12lb 8oz and 13lb 4oz – both huge fish for the Thames by any standards.

Like many anglers, Dan has found the going particularly tough on the rivers this season and despite spending regular after dark sessions on both the Thames and Kennet he has struggled to put barbel on the bank with any regularity and although he has picked up some decent bream and chub along the way the past three months had been really hard going.

It finally came good during an after dark session at Cookham last week when Dan ditched his usual feeder and groundbait approach for a straight 2oz running lead to 12lb line with an ESP braided hooklength and a luncheon meat hookbait.

The bite, when it came, almost bent Dan’s 1.75lb test heavy feeder rod double and he piled on the pressure to get the fish up and away from snags.

Dan explained that it was not a particularly lively fight. “It was a solid weight and I thought it was a carp at first,” he said. “I’d had more energetic scraps with smaller barbel but I could tell it was big.”

Dan got the fish to the landing net after some five minutes and after controlling a couple of typical last ditch dives managed to secure his prize safely in the folds.

“My fishing partner, Dave, saw the size of the fish and commented that it was like a football!” laughed Dan. “And indeed it was, it had a massive depth and girth and on the scales she went exactly 15lb. If I had known the size of the fish beforehand I might have played it a little more carefully.”

The fish was photographed and, although the after dark shots Dan sent through aren’t good enough to publish, the sheer size of the fish is readily apparent from them, it is indeed a huge beast but of course the beauty of the Thames is the unknown and there are certainly bigger barbel out there just waiting to be caught...

To report catches, call me on 07780 755138. I may be e-mailed on ian@bigfish-trail.com